Virtual reality (VR) is a computer technology for generating realistic images, sounds, and other sensations that replicate a real environment or for creating an imaginary environment for a user. The user may experience virtual reality using a VR headset. Nowadays VR headsets are widely used in games and for viewing digital content, such as videos, photos, short clips, etc. Traditional VR headsets comprise a stereoscopic head-mounted display (providing separate images for each eye), stereo sound, and head motion tracking sensors, which may include gyroscopes, accelerometers, etc. Some VR headsets also have eye tracking sensors and gaming controllers.
These traditional head-mounted display type VR headsets are typically big, bulky, expensive, and are not very portable. In the past few years, there have been some simplified versions of the traditional VR headsets where an external device may be incorporated and used with a headset. These simplified headsets by themselves contain very minimal components and the external device components are instead used to achieve the same functions. For example, the external device may be a smartphone having a split-display (for providing separate images for each eye), stereo sound, head motion tracking sensors, and eye tracking sensors. Even though the VR headsets have been simplified, they still lack the robustness and the portability to carry the headsets around and use on the go. By way of an example, most of the current headset designs do not allow a user to fold/collapse a headset when not in use in an efficient way and carry the headset in a pocket. Even when they offer collapsibility and/or the possibility to carry in a pocket, conventional headsets typically provide a poor viewing experience and typically suffer from reduced image quality.